Internal combustion engine



Aug, 2@ 3935,

vv. A. SORG INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed April 29, 1926 Patented Aug. 20, 1935 PATENT OFFICE INTERNAL ooMUs'iIoN `ENGINE William A. Sorg,-Owosso, lMich.' f Application April 29,' 1926, lserial VNo. '105,378

' 10 claims. (o1. 12a- 196) My invention relates to internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the piston assembly thereof, and has for its object to provide a piston which will not wear the cylinder out of round. o n

Another object of the invention resides in em# ploying inconjunction with the power'piston a crossv head'piston to which a connecting `rod is pivcted movable in the same directionM as the powerfpiston, andin providing a exible connection between the power piston and cross head piston toV permit the 'power piston to yfloat within the cylinder. f V n rAnother object ofv the invention resides inemploying a piston rod for connecting the power-` pistonandvcross head piston, and in further ein-4 ploying one or vmore ball Vand. socket `joints or other mechanical equivalent for connecting -said piston rod to said pistons.

A still further object .of the invention resides in providing a construction in which friction loe-` tweenl the working parts of thejengine is greatly reduced through eiiective. lubrication thereof.

An object of the 4invention resides Vin forming a traveling oil' vapor chamber betweenthe power piston and cross head and in further providing means for injecting into said chamber a mist of oil for the lubrication of the proximate parts.

Another, object of.' the inventionV resides in :arranging said ball-and socket joints within said chamber to procureproper lubricationthereoi.

AV still -further object of `the invention resides inconstructing the crossfhead piston smaller in diameter than the power piston so as to cause said pistons to have a pump action4 within said chamber, andv in furtherconnecting said chamb er .with the crank case for drawing a mist/,of oil into the chamber.

It is well known that in the Vordinary type of internal combustion engine, efficiency dependsto a large extent on the roundness and the smooth,- ness of v,the cylinder wall which comes incontact withythe piston; and that after the engine vhas run fora certain length of time the cylinder becomes ovular, so that there is no longer a good gastight fit .between the' piston and cylinder and the power output is decreased, the. compresnate or minimize these defects in the following manner: rst, by introducing a novel cross head which takes the thrustof `the connecting rod;

second,by connectingthe-piston vto the cross head in a novel maner so that none of thewobf Y suitable means.

ble or movement of V`the cross headv is transmitted to lthe piston; third,`by causing the piston to loatwithin the cylinder, favoring' neitherone side of then cylinder or the'other, thereby reducing friction to a minimum; and iinally, by producing ,al .construction of the type'ldisclosed, whereby, the partsyare most eiiectively lubri- Gated.. `j g Y To theseends, Inyinvention comprises the featuresY oi' construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. v f

gIn the accompanying drawing forming part of this s peciiication, Fig. l is a vertical central sectionalj View ofan Yinternal combustion engine showing my improvementsappliedthereto, and Fig.2 is a `cross sectional View of the cross head and guide taken o n line 2--2V of Fig. l.

In Ythe drawing, `Aindicates the cylinder of an internal ,combustiony engine, B a reciprocating power piston providedI with-rings 22, C acompressioncrosshead or piston and Dia hollow piston rod which connects*k the power andxcross head pistons in tandem and spaced apart, causing them to reciprocate inunison and creating a Vtraveling rchamber -E inthe cylinder `between the same. The-cylinder, is made in twoparts i0 and l Luthe` upper end of par-tf I0 being formed with a combustionchamber F and the lower part Il resembling a sleeve which may -be'case hardened4 ancll the two, members.A beingsecured to-l gether and to thecrank-case G by bolts i201' any other*A suitable means. VThe upper end of the cylinderA is tapered at 3toform `a restricted neck i4 and ai} -laterally disposed-passage l5 is vconf nected with the upper end of the cylinder to act as an exhaust for spent gases from the combustion chamber and to admit fresh air-.from an air chamber I-i into the cylinder during the respective exhaust and intake. strokes vof the power or trunk piston. A mechanically actuated exhaust valveei-l 4working in synchronisrn with the power piston*performsv the function of exhausting the spent gasesv in-the' usual -rnanner and .an automatically operating air valve I, in the air chamberl i6, admits a predetermined amount of fresh air during each intake, vstroke to promote com,-

bustion-oi the'fiuel after ignition.

. Situated immediately above the neck.l4,ofthe cylinder is a Yvaporizing chamber G' which is secured to the cylinder by bolts Il or any other Upon this vaporizing chamber and connected thereto is afuelmanifold J having a'fuel atomizing chamber J', with a fuel intake valve J f; therebelow and controlling the even admissionj'and distribution of fuel over the of piston C collects oil from the cylinder-wallA walls of the fuel chamber. A spark plug K is located near the top of the Vaporizer. The valve J is shown closed automatically by the expansion spring f8 seated between the atomizer and the washer I9 on the valve stem 20 but the means for operating the valve may be of any suitable construction desired.

The ends of the hollow piston rod are connected to the power or trunk piston and to the cross head piston by ball and socket joints 24 and 25. These joints relieve kall side strain from the .pistons by their free movement and allow them to play freely in the cylinder. This feature reduces Holes 25 drilled through the head of the cross head piston C, conduct oil mist from the crankA case into the suction chamber E for lubricating purposes.

The cross head piston C is connected with the crank shaft L by means of the connecting rod M, the piston pin N by which the connecting rod is secured to the cross head'piston being'high up in the piston in a position to be lubricatedby oil passages 2S. By the use'of a cross'head piston and of the universal joints between the pistons B and C and connecting rod D, side wobble and uneven wear of the power or trunk piston in the cylinder is prevented and the power piston has a free floating action in the cylinder.

A cup or annular groove 21 -in the upper end which oil in turn -is conducted by the ducts 26 downwardly upon the piston -pin' to thoroughly lubricate the latter. A tube 2l brings the chamber E into communication withV the chamber I6.

As will be noted in the drawing, the cylinder section H is of smaller diameter thanvthe-cylinder proper I0 which forms in effect a suction chamber indicated at E between the piston proper B and the cross head C. During the'compressionY and exhaust strokes of the engine the lubricant in'r'nist form is drawn through the apertures 25 and into the chamber E, due to the fact that the pressure in the crank case is greater than that f in saidrchamber. VThis mist lubricates the ball and socket joints 24 and 25. During the explosion and suction strokes a certain portion of the mist is forced back again into the crank case, but a certain part thereof is condensed and falls upon the cross head piston C where Vit further lubricates the ballV and socket joint 24. Part of this o il is collected by groove '21 and drains back into the crank case, a portion thereof reaching the wrist pin N. The mist of oil in chamber E serves to lubrcate both parts of the cylinder A and the pistons therein. Due to the pipe 2| a small portion of the mist of oil is discharged into the auxiliary air chamber I6 from which it enters the combustion chamber and is burned. rIhe oil so burned consists of the more volatile part of the mist which includes the fuel passing the piston rings 22. In this 'manner chamber E is scavenged and proper lubrication procured at alltimes.

inthe operation ofthe device, all side thrust produced by the connecting rod M is transmitted to the cross head C without effecting the movement of the'piston B. The piston B, being flexibly connectedfto vthe cross head YCv through the universal joints 24 and 25, the pistonrod D' is free ,to follow the course of the cylinder I0 and thereby causes'an even wear upon the walls'of said cylinder throughout its extent. 'This prevents the cylinder from' being worn ovular Aand maintains a perfectly round cylinder, thereby producing a tight t betweenv the piston and cylinder and a corresponding economy in operation. At the same time, all of the disadvantages of the ordinary type of engine where the connecting rod is pivoted to a structure xedly connected to the piston are eliminated, giving an extremely efficient and smooth running engine.

Changes and modifications in construction are contemplated within the scope of the following claimsv A i i Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

11. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston within said cylinder, a second cylinder in alignment with and communicating with said rst cylinder, a cross head piston in said second cylinder attached to and spaced'from said power piston to produce with said cylinders a lubricating chamber between said pistons, a crank shaft, a connecting rod pivoted to said crank shaft, a pin for connecting said rod to saidA cross head, the upper end of said cross head being formed with a passageway eX- tending downwardly toward said pin for conducting lubricating oil from said lubricating chamber to said pin. Y

`2. Aninternal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a power piston within said cylinder, a 'second' cylinder, a cross head in said second cylinder means forming in conjunction with said cross head a lubricating chamber disposed above said-cross head and movable with said. cross head, a crank shafta connecting rodV pivoted to said crank shaft, a pin for connecting said rod to said cross head, the'upper end of said cross head being formed with a passageway extending downwardly from said lubricating chamberf toward said pin for conducting lubricating oil from said chamber to said pin.

f 3. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston assembly reciprocable along said cylinder and having upper and lower piston sections separated from one another to form a chamber therebetween, a duct connecting the crank case of said engine with said chamber, the upperof said Apiston sections being larger in diameter vthan the lowerto cause a vacuum in said chamber on the upstroke'to draw a mist of oilfrom-the crank case and into said chamber.

4. An internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston assemblyreciprocable along said 'cylinder and having upper and lower piston sections separated from one another to form an expansible oil ychamber therebetween, a duct connecting the crank case of said engine and said chamber, and means for causing a suction within said chamber to draw a mist of oilv from said crank case and into said chamber through said duct.

' 5. An Yinternal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston assembly reciprocable along said'cylinder and having upper and lower piston sections separated from one another to form an expansible oil chamber therebetween, .an oil duct connecting the crankV case of said engine and said chamber, one of said piston sections being of lesser diameter than the other to cause a partial vacuum within said chamber for drawingV a mistof oil from the, crank case and into said chamber through said oil duct.

6. vAn internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder, a piston assembly'reciprocable within said cylinder and having upper and lower piston sections separated from one another to form an expansible. oil chamber therebetween, a duct leading to said chamber and communicating with an oil reservoir, and means for causing a suction within said chamber to draw oil from said reservoir and into said chamber through said duct.

7. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a power piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a combined piston and cross head in said cylin der spaced from saidpower piston, a hollow piston rod joined to said power piston and said combined piston vand cross head with an intervening universal joint, and means for lubricating said universal joint.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a power piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a combined piston and cross head in said cylinder spaced from said power piston, a piston rod joined to said power piston and said combined piston and cross head with an intervening ball and socket joint, .and means: for lubricating said ball and socket joint.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a power piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a combined piston and cross head in said cylinderattached to and spaced from said power piston and producing a traveling chamber in said cylinder, a crank shaft, a connecting rod coupled.r

bricant into the traveling chamber.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a po-wer piston reciprocable in said cylinder, a combined piston and cross head in said cylinder spaced from said power piston to form a traveling chamber, a connection between said power piston and combined piston and cross head, a universal joint in said connection to permit free movement between said connected parts, means communicating with said traveling chamber for lubricating said universal joint, and means for creating suction in said traveling chamber to draw lubricant into said traveling chamber.

WILLIAM A'. SORG. 

